When the Congress for the New Urbanism stages a national conference in downtown Providence in June, the offerings ought to include a discussion session titled, “The Renaissance City: A Case Study in How to Not Handle Nightlife.”

For at least the last six years, as more residents have moved downtown and into the adjacent Jewelry District — the combined epicenter of Providence nightlife — skirmishes have predictably ensued between the newcomers and club and bar owners. Critics assert that a small fraction of nightlife denizens go over the line of acceptable behavior, while nightlife defenders say the critics wield a suburban-style mentality. In all likelihood, there’s probably enough blame to go around.
Yet rather than working together to resolve these concerns, the two sides have settled into a highly confrontational relationship, with the likelihood of litigation hovering on the horizon. The current focal point is a series of hearings being conducted by the Providence Board of Licenses, which could result in the closing not just of Club Diesel, the 1200-person capacity Washington Street dance club, but also Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, which utilizes the same space and brings a wider array of musical talent to the state than any other Rhode Island venue.

Although the Providence police contend that Diesel is a trouble spot, the larger problem seems to be how thousands of bar patrons and clubgoers empty into the narrow streets of downtown and the Jewelry District after closing time on peak nights, seriously outnumbering the 25 or so police officers in the area and constraining their ability to deal with the nuisance behavior that troubles residents. As traffic backs up on the nearby streets, tempers flare, producing more noise and sometimes sparking fights.

There are progressive solutions for responding to this situation. It would take money, of course, but one way would be increasing the size of the police department to correspond with Providence’s enhanced popularity as a nightlife destination. A less costly alternative would be allowing clubs and bars (or some of them, perhaps on a rotating basis) to remain open, without additional alcohol sales, until 4 am, so that patrons would depart gradually, rather than all at once. Rather than pursuing these ideas, however, the city seems locked in a cycle of trying to squelch nightlife, bit by bit.

Smith Hill weighs a ban on the under-21 crowd Seasoned partiers will recall that about a decade ago our august legislature considered barring anyone under age 21 from Rhode Island night clubs in a bid to curb underage drinking.

Licensing board sides with Kent in club dispute In a decision signaling a victory for downtown nightlife, the Providence Board of Licenses this week repudiated the Providence Police Department’s allegation that Club Diesel represents a disorderly house.

Nightlife In the latest extended drama over Providence nightlife, the city is expected to soon conclude its case against Club Diesel, paving the way for the lawyers representing nightclub impresario Michael Kent to offer their side of the dispute.

Providence police try to lower the boom on Club Diesel In the first of what promises to be a lengthy and sometimes contentious series of hearings, lawyers representing Club Diesel squared off at City Hall on March 15 against counterparts speaking for the Providence Police Department.

High dives Dive bars. Where the drinks are cold and stiff. Where the air wafts with the unmistakable but not-altogether-unpleasant tang of suds long since spilled. Where the neon shines bright and true and the jukebox plays good and loud.

Flashback: Art After Hours There’s no shortage of nightclubs and bars in Boston, but the sheer magnitude of offerings has been no guarantee of quality. Between the scruffy rock clubs, gay discos, and often pretentious singles bars, there hasn’t been much of a middle ground.

Last call; open season Over the course of its short lifetime, the White Heart bar and lounge made its mark on Portland's nightlife scene.

Where the girls are While Boston does have a few conventional — some might say uninteresting — gay bars, it doesn’t have a designated hotspot for queer women.

RHODY'S LOCAL FOOD MOVEMENT FINDS ITS GROOVE | February 23, 2009 Five years ago, when Farm Fresh Rhode Island (FFRI) launched its mission of promoting Ocean State-produced food, co-founder Noah Fulmer discovered a curious disconnection in the local food chain.

TICKET TO RIDE | February 11, 2009 In April 1999, two weeks after I started on the job at the Providence Phoenix , the FBI raided City Hall, formally unveiling the federal investigation that would land Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci Jr., Rhode Island's rascal king, behind bars.

ADVOCATES RENEW PUSH FOR PUBLICLY-FINANCED RI ELECTIONS | February 04, 2009 During a news conference Tuesday afternoon in the State House rotunda, proponents of significantly expanding publicly financed elections in Rhode Island — a concept they call "Fair Elections" — cited a litany of reasons for why it would be good for the Ocean State and its citizens.

THE UPSIDE OF HOPE IN RHODE ISLAND | January 29, 2009 Everywhere one turns these days, there's seemingly more bad news about Rhode Island: the unemployment rate, one of the highest in the nation, tops 10 percent — and the state's running out of unemployment assistance.